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Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 269, 10 August 1938, Page 12

LANGUAGE USED

Mr. Smith On The Real . Complaint

REPLY BY MR. CARR Intervention By The Speaker Continuing the debate on broadcasting, Mr. S. G. Smith (Opposition, New Plymouth) said that he himself had never macle any charges against the Controller of Commercial Broadcasting. Charges, however, had been made, and an inquiry should have been made into them. The Prime Minister, Rt. Hott. M. J. Savage: What charges? Mr. Smith: Charges have been made by a newspaper. . . . The Prime Minister: Point of order, Mr. Speaker. Is the hon. gentleman entitled to enter into a discussion about charges made by a certain newspaper? Aren’t we discussing the Sunday night broadcast? Speaking to the point of order, Mr. W. A. Bodkin (Opposition, Central Otago) said that the Prime Minister had stated that charges had beeu made inside the House and not outside it. Mr. Smith was replying directly to that statement.

The Prime Minister: I said they were made inside and outside the House. Mr. Speaker, Hou. W. E. Barnard, said he had allowed a certain amount of latitude to the mover and the Prime Minister, but it would be necessary for members to pay heed to the caution given at the outset. The member for New Plymouth; had been somewhat drawn asjde by an interjection. He thought in "the circumstances that if the member for New Plymouth ignored the interjection it would be well. The Real Complaint. Mr. Smith said he hoped the Prime Minister Would accept the controller’s resignation. The real complaint was that his choice of language on Sunday night was repugnant to the Christian principles of the great bulk of the people. The controller had stated that he was still, first and foremost a minister of religion. The words lie used on Sunday night were not those of a Christian gentleman.

If any man gave his life to following the teachings of Jesus Christ, he should not use the language that was used by the controller last Sunday night, Mr. Smith said. The Saviour was a meek and lowly man; lie did not seek high position and high salary. He mixed with the people. He prayed for those who abused Him; He prayed for those who issued innuendoes.

Mr. Smith, said he had received communications from working people complaining that, they had had to switch off their radios on Sunday night ; because of the language that was coming over' The member for Hurunui did not attack the character of the controller. He merely challenged his fitness for the position he was occupying. The Prime Minister had placed a totally different construction on Mr. Forbes’s remarks.

“I make no charges against the controller,” continued Mr. Smith. “I. hear all kinds of statements about extravagance iu the commercial broadcasting service. The public do not know who is right or who is wrong. The Government ought to clear up the whole business. Is there muddlement? Is there extravagance? Mr. Speaker: Order!

Mr. Smith: The controller said he had been charged with muddlement and extravagance. His answer was let those who are making the charges mind their own confounded business. That is not an answer. The station does not belong to the Government otto the controller. The people find the money to run the broadcasting service. Tlie Prime Minister: Tell me where there is muddlement. YA Stations Compared. Mr. Smith said it was a well-known fact that the YA stations were run much more efficiently and economically than the ZB stations. The YA stations gave greater satisfaction to tlie public. The Government was trying to create an atmosphere that it was not getting a fair spin from tlie Press. If tlie controller had a grievance why did he not go to the law courts instead of taking advantage of bis official position to use' language repugnant to the people? “I hope,” added Mr. Smith, “that the Prime Minister accepts this gentleman’s resignation, and that he will go back to his profession as • a. minister of religion and do his l>es-t to emulate the teachings of the Mau whom he promised to. follow.”

The Rev. C. L. Carr (Government, Tima.ru) said there was no suggestion in the motion that the controller should have any penalty imposed upon him as a result of what Opposition members were pleased to call his attack upon them over the air. If he bad heard the motion aright, it was to the effect that unless the controller abstained from certain things he be asked to resign. Why pursue the thing? The controller had found himself being attacked, unfairly attacker!, perhaps scurriliously attacked Perhaps be had said to himself: "I have got to defend myself. I am not going to leave it to someone else to defend me. I am not even going to leave it to the Government. ’ My honesty and integrity have been impugned. The business in which I am engaged, the employees of the department which 1 control, the administration, the whole management of the department have by innuendo been held up to criticism and subjected to misconception, to something worse than that.” Vague Aspersions. "We know,” said Mr. Carr, "that certain bon. members have not spared an opportunity to make vague aspersions and inuendoes against this mans character, against bis business— Opposition members: Name one. Mr. Carr: One lion, member or one occasion? 1 will name the occasions when tile lion, member for Rlecarloii lias again ami again. I consider without any provocation, maliciously and malignant ly Mr. Speaker: Order! The hoti member must withdraw. Mr. Carr: Am I wrong in saying maliciously ami malignantly.' Mr. Speaker: The bon. member will withdraw those words unreservedly and without argument. Mr. Carr: I withdraw any statement that may have seemed to mean that what the bon. member did or said was malicious or malignant. Mr. Speaker: If the bon. member will not obey my ruling I will call on another speaker. Mr. Carr: Oh, I withdraw, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Carr said there bad been many

occasions in Ibe House when by innuendo it: had been suggested that there was corruption in the Commercial Broadcasting Service and on the part of the controller himself. The gentleman who was being discussed had had Io decide whether he would let someone else speak for him or whether lie himself: would strike back at his critics. He had taken the stand which, under similar circumstances, most men would prefer to take. “So far as the language is concerned,” said Mr. Carr, “every word used was good old Anglo-Saxon. The Rev. Mr. Scrimgeour applied to a man whom he held guilty of perversion of the truth an Anglo-Saxon word which means just that and nothing more. There are times when wo have Io hit out and use language which cannot be misunderstood. The controller of Commercial Broadcasting spoke under intense provocation. He is prepared to lose Ills job but he will not be gagged ”